Method for treating hygroscopic materials at subatmospheric pressures



1 t e e h S s t e e h 5 M V 2 I R m 5 M m NW3 w w E R ZHSP s mm E R L E.H O d T e 3. 1 wF I METHOD FOR TREATING HYGRO Vxn W r ATTORNEY PatentedMay 19, 1936 I U ITED-"STATE s PATENT-P crncs v METHOD For: 'rana'rmcnrcaoscorlc MATERIALS-AT; sunn'rmosmrnalc rimsb SUBES wilter'h i er, NewI 7 Application omm zs, 1933', sum-Hm "5M1 tracts, coloringmaterialsQvitaminsQin desired 1 form, or liquid and gaseous materials,more especially into baking and confectionery products,

so that the products may, be permeated'with the injected substance.Thus, for example, in" car- I rying out this object, bread may betreated with a coloring material so that, it assume a desired tint.This" material may have a desired flavor, and hence, the hat,in'addition to being colored, will also have its taste fixed. Similarly,

by means of this invention, applicantmay inject vitamins in suitablevolatile carriers'withinthe loaf and cause their distribution throughoutthe interior mass; and to prevent mold spores, or for reiniorcingthekeeping qualities of the bread,

such gases as ozone, or other oxidizing media in gaseous or soluble.iormfmay be introduced, in

accordance'withthe invention, tor -treatment oi theloai. f H

, Another. objectoi the invention is to provide for the utilization oisolid materials in connection with bakery and coniectionery products, orfor insertion 'within colloidal or porous materials. For example, suchsubstances as butter orbutt'er tat maybe suitably liquefied orvaporized, and by the use of the invention introducedwithin and as drawnthrough the treatedmaterial, to add a desired quality thereto.

A feature r the inventionresides m the use or a chamber or, series ofchambersin combination with an injecting apparatus, wherebymat'erial'sunder pressures less than atmospheric withinthe chamber'or chambers maybe) subjected to the action of the injecting apparatus iorreceivingsubstances injected therein. A further feature of the invention residesin subjecting amass to a pressure less than atmospheric, whereby themaybe cooled and a substance injected. therein simultaneouslydistributedthroughout the mass. described in applicants cope'ndingapplication,Serial No. 667,327, flied April 2 2,-;.1933,,matured into U. 8.

Patent No. 2,021,772, bread] and other products containingwaterhygroscopic-ally are cooled by theevaporation of the moisture therein toan extent corresponding to the vacuum employedto drawings, in which: 7 lf Fig-1 showsa diagrammatic-arrangemmtiot a a bread cooling apparatus; a

the lower the tem muses: evaporation and, the"temperature o! the fromwhich the moisture is evaporated: In csi' 'y nd outzthe pres entinvention, applicant 'alsouses this processand the coolingst'ep toretard the yolatilization of in s iectedmateria lijomthe massis wouldoccurif injectionf tool; place at higher temperatures. controllingthevacuum, the temperature of evaporation is regulated,'and' hence, apositive con trol is hadpi thei volatilizingfprocess. "'mme 1o ablesapplicant to iii: a flavor ora color, for example,substantially,uniiormly throughout" 'a mass, and'to'regulate' its intensitywithin themass.

Another feature resides. in the provisionoi' means for conv 'yingmaterials through a vacl5 uum chamber and iorinjecting liquid or gaseousproducts within the-materials duringthe conv y n p-Q A furtherieatureresides in utilizing a plurality v oi chambers and controllingthe pressures in 20 each of the chambers, whereby'the rate of coolvingotmaterials conveyedthrough the chambers is controlled; ,and wherebyproducts to be in} v jected within the materials passing throuk the 1chambers willj be injected in timed relation with 8 5 the conveyingoperation and under desired conditions of pressure and temperatm'e the.n

materials. I Still another feature covers thQIISQ'DllDjBCtingap'paratus'which is adapted tolinsertjfli id or 2'" p gaseous productsto be the apparatus being arranged to pierce materials passlnsadiacentthereto andsto 1611131 11 I a b b we ossi c lm ter o! thematerialspierced, orthe the in moving apparatus. ,4 a

Other objects and features for ,1 I

vance in the flavoring, onditiomnasterm afl n.

or other'treatment'of materials; by insertion of. 7 products, undervacuum, will be more apparent 4 from the following description, ofillustrative wayoi carrying'out applicant's 'invention, to be read incombination with the Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic representation or aniniectorldevicefin "combinationfwith a feeding device, both adapted "tobe used the am? so Fi s?) illustrates, inilfgraph iorm, or operations,in the treatment of bread, '10: ex-' ample, in, accordance withapplicant'sinvention'; and

effect the evaporatiom'the higher the vacuum, Fig.4 shows,

a,osi,ose' 3 sure in lock ll .would be substantially that of chamber 84.Conveyors 31 are utilised for conveying the materials, such as loaves ofbread.

through the chambers, and the locks are preter- 25 (to volatilize theinjected material, and subsequent injections may be made thereafter atdifferent pressures. and with materialsadaptedto volatilize at lowerFor-example, substances such as butter fat; or oil' carrying 30 vitaminsmay be injected in the hot loaf before the loaf enters an area ofsub-atmosphericm'essure. when the loa! then comes under partial vacuum,the injected substances will be through the loaf by reason of thelowering of the 5 pressure on the mass. As pointed out. furtherinjections may be madewith material adapted to volatilize at thedifferent temperatures correspondins to the subatmospherie pressures inthe various areas in which takesplace.

40 It the pressure to which the substance, such as the loaf of bread, issubjected during the fluid or gaseous injection, is reduced, it isappar'e'ntthat the fluid will diil'use from the Point of injectionthroughout the loaf. In certain instances, it may be desirable to injectsolids, such as butter fat. or substances which are viscous at ordinarytemperatures, into the loaf or similar product. This can be accomplishedby injecting-the'butter fat; etc.. into the loaf, Just as it leaves theoven-in 5 other words, at a high temperature. The heat causes melting.Thereafter, when the loaf (or other product) is subiected to a' vacuuminches-20 inches), desired diffusion throughout -the loaf takes place.10

It is apparent that the invention may be used in numerous applications,and applicant considers within the purview hereof any arrangementwherein a vacuum is used for diffusion of substances throughout a masssubjected to the vacuum.applicable at diiierent temperatures and atdiiicrent stages of a continuous process.

I claim: a

1. A method of treating bakery products conaisting in confining-theproducts, within an area whose pressure may be controlled, after theproducts have left the oven and beforethey have cooled to'a temperaturesuitable for wrapping, lowering the pressure, within the area to removefree water from the products thereby to cool the products, and injectingmaterial within the products while the removal of free moisture isstillbeing carried on whereby the material replaces tree moisture and isdispersed throughout the interior of the products.

2. A method of treating bakery products consisting in placingthe'products within a confining chamber after the products have left theoven and before they have cooled to a temperature suitable"for'fiwmpping, reducing the pressure withinthefchamber to produce apartial vacuum therein, the reduction in pressure being suflicient todraw free'water from the products in the form of moisturevapor therebyto cool the products, and injecting material within the products at 40.onepoint in the cooling operation whereby the materi'ai is dispersedthrough the interior of the products as the moisture is withdrawntherefrom.

vWALTER L. FLEISHER.

